


A Prefect's Plan

by BustedChina



Series: Overlooked Children [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Child Neglect, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Slytherin Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-31 22:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BustedChina/pseuds/BustedChina
Summary: Gemma Farley will do anything to protect the two grass snakes trapped in a pit of vipers.Percy Weasley doesn’t understand how a baby raven and a baby badger ended up in Pride territory, but that won’t stop him from protecting his own.Confrontation is ample, and ideas are bounced around as the fifth year Prefects struggle to come up with a plan.The Problem? Well, let’s just say the Professors are as helpful as ever (eye roll). The Solution? Four fifth-year Prefects aren’t quite sure, but they’re more than willing to come up with something.





	A Prefect's Plan

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a One-shot that kind of evolved (really it just got out of hand). Now it’s an accompaniment to the Main Story. It’s a Prequel of sorts that showcase the main events (from other’s POV) that isn’t really touched upon in the Main Story.
> 
> By the way, I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling gets all the credit in that field. I'm just borrowing her characters and playing with them. So please don't yell at me!

Gemma Farley has noticed something odd. Something she wouldn’t have ever thought possible of her Head of House; in all her years at Hogwarts, never, has she seen Professor Snape blatantly neglect and ignore two of his snakes. Never has he simply glossed over their existence.

It’s not exactly a closed secret that Slytherin House gets all the troubled children. Whether its problems physical, emotional, or …sexual (she shudders), the students come to Hogwarts jaded or scared. Her Professor would pick out the ones who twitch or hide within the first week, the ones who dawn a mask made of iron: or strut and preen and deflect the attention.

He _always_ noticed.

But it’s been two weeks and, just, nothing. He hasn’t so much as looked at either child. She has noticed something odd, and she will do everything in her power to protect the two grass snakes trapped in a pit of vipers.

 

 

Percy Weasley doesn’t understand. It’s been two weeks and he _still_ doesn’t understand. He knows he’s smart, top of his year- not to mention his house. He _knows_ that the Sorting Hat’s choice is final. That the Hat has been sorting students to their “home away from home” for centuries, and never has he yet come across a need to be re-sorted. He’s searched everywhere- even in the restricted section! But he can’t find a single example.

He doesn’t understand how Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom could be lions. It’s obvious they don’t belong. Granger is obviously a raven, and Longbottom is a Hufflepuff if he’s ever seen one.

He doesn’t want to be mean, but they’d be better off somewhere else- before the rest of the Pride eats them alive.

 

 

Gemma wasn’t certain. Sure the signs were there, but at first she just thought that the two were nervous. She could remember her first week- Merlin was she a wreck- so maybe they were just having a hard time settling in. But as one week bled into two the obvious details were hard to ignore.

Nott is quiet. So quiet she’d think him mute ‘cept for the handful of times she’s caught him sounding out words in the corner of the library.

He isn’t much of a snake, he reminds her more of a baby chameleon- shifting with the shadows, disappearing into walls and tapestries at the first sign of trouble. Never confronting others and never being confronted.

Potter on the other hand is… odd. She can’t get a read on him; well besides the obvious- too thin, too pale, always squinting. Merlin! The squinting is so annoying. It just makes her feel the need to grit her teeth, and shout at him as she thrusts a pair of glasses on his nose.

His eyes are large and bright, but some of the blankest she’s ever seen. Seeing that blank stare on her Head of House is one thing, but Potter is eleven for Merlin’s sake! He shouldn’t be that expressionless. And he’s always looking down; or at a book.

Always squinting, and biting his lip. But so far she’s never heard him ask for help; never if the bookshelf is too high or he doesn’t understand an assignment.

Or complain for that matter. Not even last Tuesday when his potion’s book was tossed into the common room fireplace. He didn’t cry or complain. He just squinted at the book- biting his lip all the while- before kneeling in the ash, beating off the flame licking the corner of the book with an overlarge sleeve. He never asked if anyone would clean and repair the book. And no one offered. He simply flipped through the book once before slinking back to his hide-away beneath the large window.

And the incident was forgotten by the next night.

Not that the bullying stopped of course.

But what can she do? He’s a Slytherin for Merlin’s sake! She can’t- _won’t_ \- help until he asks for it. It how Slytherin works! (SIGH) Maybe Clearwater will have an idea. Those know-it-all-Ravens always have an idea.

 

 

Percy’s having a hard time.

A month into term and Longbottom’s report isn’t looking too good. So far all the teachers have determined that he’s a lost cause. He’s a shaking, stuttering mess in every class- ‘cept for Herbology it seems- and especially potions. Nearly all of Longbottom’s point loss is from Snape’s class. Out of all the first-year lions, he’s been to the Infirmary the most.

Granger on the other hand has received the most points out of all the first year lions, but her reputation in the common room is non-existent. He has seen her rushing from her dorms with red eye, the other girls twittering not far behind her.

The “Buck-tooth know it all” that she’s been christened, is giving off mixed signals; her obvious anxiousness in the Wizarding World have led her to be ostracized further by her year mates.

He’s seen her nervous tick in action- spouting off facts when faced with an unfamiliar scenario. And really, anything at Hogwarts would be unfamiliar to a Muggleborn! And it’s not just the lions lashing out at the quaking child, but he’s heard hateful snippets from the Ravens and Puffs too.

He’s seen her unyielding faith in her teachers- who ignore her.

It’s so much like his own problem, but he had his brother’s to help him. As far as he’s seen all the little Muggleborn has are her facts!

And maybe a mute little snake in the dark stacks of the library if Truman saw correctly. But...But! That would have disastrously results. The lions, that are barely standing her, will turn viscous.

(Shoulders Hunched) Maybe it’s time to talk with Truman. The Hufflepuff always seems to know how best to approach people. (SIGH) It’s going to be a long year, Percy just knows it.


End file.
